Method for digging and balling bushes or trees



Jan. 5, 1965 wHlTcoMB 3,163,944

METOD FOR DIGGING AND BLLING BUSHES OR TREES original Filed April 14. iseo 7 sheets-sheet l EN TOR.

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METHOD Foa DIGGING AND BALLING BusHEzs 0R TREES original Filed April 14, 1960 'r sheets-sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

Jan. 5, 1965 v L. wHxTcoMB 3,163,944

METHOD FOR DIGGING AND BALLING BUSHES OR TREES Original Filed April 14. 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

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Jan. 5, 1965 L. wHlTcoMB 3,163,944

METHOD FOR DIGGING AND BALLING BUSHES OR TREES Original Filed April 14, 1960 '7 SheetsSheet 4 Jan. 5, 196g l.. wHncoMB 3,163,944

METHOD FOR DIGGING AND BALLING BUSHES OR TREES Original File. April 14. 1960 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 jj@ \-\I. 121|/ INVENToR. 130 Y lee Wizcom 134 136' BY 917A. J

Jan. 5, 1965 L. wHlTcoMB 3,163,944

METHOD FOR DIGGING AND BALLING BUSHES OR TREES Original Filed April 14. 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 66 I II'HI r11 Il ll f "In 54 2,56 75 VEN TGR.

2,361 BY JA@ ATTY.

Jan. 5, 1965 L. WHITCOMB METHOD FOR DIGGING AND BALLING BUSHES OR TREES Original Filed April 14 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 \\"2/2 20. ....`q .tg/5 2a? ,gpg *"Z I li 2/2 l INVENTOR.

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United States Patent O 3,163,944 METHOD FOR DIGGING AND BALLING BUSHES OIR TREES Lee Whitcomh, 719 Illinois St., Plainfield, Ill., assignor to Robert Whitley, Joliet, Ill., and Lee Whitcomb, Plaineld, Eil.

Griginal application Apr. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 22,279, now Patent No. 3,045,368, dated .inly 24, 1962. Divided and this application Mar. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 179,598

1 Claim. (Cl. 37--2) My invention relates to a method of digging, balling and burlapping bushes or trees.

This application is a divisional application of my copending application Serial No. 22,279, filed April 14, 1960, which issued as Patent No. 3,045,368 on July 24, 1962.

In providing trees and bushes for landscaping, the nursery men are usually required to dig out and deliver to the new location the shrubbery and trees which are desired for transplanting. This is done by digging out the earth in a circular area around the trunk or base to a depth so that the major portions of the roots ofthe bush or tree are retained within the soil or ground, and an effort is made to deliver the bush or tree without losing this ground immediately surrounding the trunk or base of the tree or bush. This is usually effected by placing the base of the tree or bush together with the ground or soil on a burlap sheet or into a burlap bag,

and then tying the same up around the trunk or base to prevent the ground from becoming loose during handling and falling away from the roots. This process is generally known in the trade as balling and burlapping.

Where a large number of trees or bushes are to be removed at a specific time from the nursery for transplanting, the labor involved in carrying out the above operations makes the removal and delivery of the trees or bushes a comparatively slow and drawn out process.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for removing or balling a bush or tree by moving a pair of semi-cylindrical knife supporting members around the base of a bush or tree, closing the same to form a circular downwardly pointing knife assembly, and then causing both of the semi-circular knives to swing transversely in an arc of 90 to cut down and around the roots of the bush or tree, and loosening the soil and roots in an area in the form of a half sphere, lifting the bush or tree together with this half sphere or ball of earth and depositing the -samein a holder upon a burlap sheet so that the burlap sheet can be raised over the surface of the ball for fastening together around the base or trunk of the bush or tree.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of the type above described whereby an operator can control the unit which includes the cutter head for cutting out the ball and raise the ball and bush or tree and swing it around to a suitable position where the burlap, cloth or sack may be, attached.

Other objects and advantages will bel more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying. drawings, upon which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing a boom carrying a pair of semi-cylindrical cutter plates in position for cutting out a hemisphere or ball of earth surrounding the roots of a bush or tree;

FIG. 2 shows the same in a side elevational view to show the boom in a raised position and the knives in an extreme cutting position supporting the ball and bush for movement to a holder where the burlap is applied;

FIG. 3 shows the bush and ball being held in position for trimming and applying the burlap;

FIG. 4 is a similar side elevational view showing the I ICC showing the gouging out of a portion of the earth before the balling operation so that a larger ball may be dug out;

FIG. 6 is a similar side elevation showing how the boom and cutter head may be horizontally disposed to cut out a smaller ball, as when a small bush is being removed for transplanting;

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view of the apparatus shown attached to one of the side frames of a tractor, with the cutter heads, knives and associatedv parts to the left of the view and the cup-shaped ball receiving holder and mechanism to the right;

FIG. 8 is a generally schematic plan View showing the knife holders in open position for engagement under the branches about the trunk of a tree;

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic fragmentary plan view show` ing the knife holders and knives in closed position about the trunk of the tree;

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a changed position of the boom and balling mechanism swung about to the right for disposition of the ball in the cup-shaped holder;

FIG. 1 1 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the knife holders and associated mechanism with portions broken away tomore clearly show other parts, and the knife holder and actuating member shown swung to the right in an open position lin dotted lines;

FIG. l2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the pivots for the knives, taken generally on the line 12-12 of FIG. l1; FIG. 13 is .a cross-sectional View through the knife holder and knives and operating mechanism, and is taken generally on the line 13-13 of FIG. 1l;

FIG. 14 is a transverse sectional view of one of the knife holders and knives, taken on the line 14-14 of Y FIG. Il;

y FIG. 15 is a generally front perspective view of one of the knife arms;

` FIG. 16 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the knife holder support plate and associated parts, with parts broken in section;

FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of one of the knife holders;

FIG. 18 is a similar top perspective view of one of the knives; v

FIG. 19 is a plan view of theball holding and burlapping mechanism shown at the right of the machine;

and

FIG.V 20 vis a crosssectional 'view therethrough vtaken generally on the line Ztl-20 of FIG. 19.

In the embodiment of theV invention which I have chosen toillustrate and describe the same, I have shown in FIG. 7 in dot-dash lines, a wheeled vehicle such as a tractor 10 having the usual channel member 12 on the side of the same to which the tree balling apparatus may be attached.V y, v j

This apparatus may'consist of a support frame 14 which may include a framework having vertical angle members 16 and V18 and connecting top and bottom angle members 20 and 22. The angle member 16 is provided with a plurality of bolt holes 24 for the reception of fastener members 26, the bolt holes extending generally throughout the length of the angle members so that the location of the apparatus above the ground may be varied to suit conditions.

The supporting frame 14 may have a pair of horizontally disposed brackets 28 and 3i) extending forward there- A boomV from .and having pivot pins 32 and 34 therein. post 36 has a top plate 38 and a bottom plate 40 pivotally clearly apparent.

the vertical plate 60 of a cutter head assembly 61'. It Y' will be noted that the pivot pin 56 may be located in either of two openings marked H and A, the openings being so arranged that in one opening the knife headk will be disposed at an angle and in the other opening the knife head will be held horizontally, aswill be hereinafter more The connecting rod 54 its two pivots to clear a cylinder 65, the cylinder connected at one end on a pivot pin 66 to the lower boom post plate 4t), and the piston rod 67 therein being connected to a pivot 69 on a stationary support plate 79 at the'lower end of the vertical upright 18. Thus when hydraulic force is delivered to either end of the cylinder 65, the boom post 'and boom 5l) together with theV cutter'head assembly will be swung to the right or tol the left under the control of the operator seated on the tractor.

' Mechanism for raising Vor lowering `the Ycutter head assembly may also consist of .a hydraulic cylinder 72 pivotally connected at 74 to the boom post 36 and'fhaving a piston rod 74 pivotally connectedat' to Ythe cutter head assembly 61. Thus when fluid under pressureisintroduced in .either end of the hydraulic cylinder 72, it will pull the piston 74 in or push it out, thus raising or lowering the cutter head assembly 61.. Y f

Mechanism has thus far been describedV which will swing a boom supporting a cutter head assembly either to the right or left in a circular horizontal arc,'or up and down in a vertical arc within thelimits'desired and depending of course upon the length of the hydraulic cylinders which are used. Y

The cutter head assembly may include generallyA the vertically disposed support plate 60 to which the parall'elogram rods are attached, and an auxiliary plate 80 vthat Vhas a pairof bosses 34 .at its ltop and bottom ends through which an, elongated pivot pin S2 is directed, the pin 82v being mounted in lugs 86 and 88 adjacent the top and bottom ends of the plate 69. Thev auxiliary plate 80 may alsohave a transverse arm 90 adjacent its bottom end, the arm 9i) having a connect'-v ing rod 92- pivotally fastened thereto by the pivot bolt94. The connecting rod 92 forms a piston rod in the hydraulic cylmder'96 which is pivotally connected on a pivot 98 in a backwardly extending arm portion of the plate 6&2

The auxiliary plate Sil has a downwardly extending leg 162 which carries an elongated bearing 104 adjact'eutitsV lower end. A v extendingv ledgeV 106 which carries an elongated bearing 1tl'adjacent its lower vtend.n A pair of generally semicylindrically shaped knife holders 11@ and 112'may be fastene and 105, the knife holders each having a backwardly extending arm. portion 116 which is inthe shape of an angle,

the bolts 114 passing through suitable openings 118 in the vertical walls 120' of the same.

' In this way a semi-cylindrically shaped knife holder is fastened to both the plate k60 Vand the ,auxiliary plate Sil,

and when the auxiliary plate'tl 'is swung about its'pivotKVV '52; as shown in dotted Vlinesin FIG. Y11,'the knife holder is also bent upwardly betweenr The plate'tl may also have aV downwardly' end of a generally semi-cylindrically shaped knife blade 136.` The knife as shown in FIG. 18 also has an elongated rod 13S extending outwardly from the opposite end of the semi-cylindrical knife and in alignment with the pin 134. The rods 138 may extend through the bearings 104 and 193 kand are each provided with an end slot 140. An operating arm 142 for swinging they knives through a 90 arc may be connected on the ends of the rods 138, the arm having ay key 144 which engages in the slot 140 and a bore 146 to receive the rod 138.

The arm 142 may extend outwardly and upwardly from therods 138 and have a boss 14S with a bore 150 therethrough. The bore 150 carries a pivot pin 152 to connect the end of a piston rod 154 to the arms 142. The pistou rods 154 extend intorhydraulic cylinders 156.which are pivotally connected at 158 to a pivot on a lug 160 extending outwardly from both the plates 6i) and 80.

Thus when the plates are together as shown in FIGS. 7 and 13, when hydraulic pressure' is placed in theupper v endsY of the cylinders 156, the rods 154 will be moved outwardly, thus swinging the arms 142 around the rods 138- and rotating these rods and the cutter knives 136 connected thereto so that a generally,semi-spherical cut is made downwardly through the earth. When the cutter blades are at the lowermost position shown in dotted lines` in FIG. 13, the cutter head is raised by the piston 74 and thegunit may thenbe swung about in an are to place the balled tree in a desiredlocation. A control box C may be located on the tractor 10 provided With the usual valve handles V for controlling the flow Vof hydraulic iluid to the desired cylinder and to the Vdesired end of the same, each of the valves beingof the` type thatwill move the piston from either end of the cylinder or hold the same in any desired intermediate or end position, as is well known in the art;

In the embodiment of the Vinvention shown, I prefer to provide a ball receiving unit where the ball may be easily and quickly fastened in a burlap bag or cloth for delivery. This unit may include agenerally-rectangularly shaped framework 261 which may be supported by an angle 2%.?. and diagonal bracefrom'the support frame 14.` It may include an open ended cylinder Ztl() `within which a cup-shaped ball holder 208 is mounted for re-Y ciprocal movement. The cup-shaped holder 298 has a vertically disposed depending guide rod 219 which is pivotally connected to a positioning lever 211.` The lever 211 is pivoted at one end on a xed pivot 214 and is held in desired raised or lowered` position on a stepped support 212 attached to one of the corner posts of the frame 201. The cylinder 2th) has angle members 207 weldedv to its sides, each angle member having one end hooked over the frame top (seeV FIG. 20) and the othervend bol-ted tothe opposite frame top. The socketonthe ball-holder is threadably received on the guide rod 210, so when desired, diiferent size ball holders and: cylinders may be K used, the ball-holder capable of removal.l and-replacement, and the cylinder and support d` bysets of bolt members 1-14toV extensionsltZ i 112 may be swung outwardlyaway from the knifetholder f 'I scribed, it can thus be.' seen that the operation of digging 110, permitting the cutter headassembly tobe moved` in- Vwardly around therbase of a tree or bush. f Thus, whenv 1t 1s closed,. the trunk of the tree or base of the bush will be surrounded by a. generallycircular enclosure.

Each of the knife holders carries at its extended end'a downwardlydepending strap '130 having an'opening 132 Ytherethrough to receive a pivotpin 134 at `the.extended Vburlap. Y

With the mechanism` that has been hereinbefore debars also 'removable and replaceable. s

With the bagging device shown, astrip. of bilrlap` B w may be placed in the holder 208 with its edges laidover; the edges of the Ycylinder 266, andwhen the ballot atree or bush is placed therein, it will hold the same while the operator fastens the burlap around the trunk of the tree or the neck of thebush being bagged.

It will be apparent, that, if desired, a pot or container may be placed in the cylinder 206 in substitutionfor the the .moisture therein, can be easily and simply accom- Y plished.` In l-TIGS.` 1to `4 lhave shown the process as carried out infthe usual'wayl with the cutter holder dis- Vposed at an angle and in'FIG. 6,1. havevshown the way in which the balling of smaller trees or bushes may take place with the cutter head held at a horizontal angle, as when the upper rod of the parallelogram brace is mounted in the hole marked H. ln digging out or balling larger trees, it is sometimes necessary, as shown in HG. 5, to gouge out an opening P adjacent the trunk of a tree, and then move lthe knife holders and knives around the trunk of the tree and at a lower angle so that a deeper or larger opening P can be made, resulting in a bigger and deeper ball of earth around the roots of the larger tree.

While I have illustrated and described a specic embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made in the exact details shown, and I do not Wish to he limited in any particular; rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

The methodA of removing or balling a tree which consists of the steps of moving a pair of closed semi-circular cutter heads at the lower end of a boom down at an angle to the surface of the ground adjacent a tree, swinging semi-circular knife blades down from said cutter heads and toward each other to cut out a section of earth, then lifting the same and dropping it way from the tree, then opening the cutter heads about a pivot near one meeting edge of the same, moving the open cutter heads forward above the earth around the base of the tree, swinging the two semi-circular knife holders together to form a circular ring around the base of the tree, moving said semicircular knives downwardly and cutting into the earth at an angle at the end of the boom and then swinging said knivesrtoward each other, cutting through the earth to cut out a section of earth larger than a semi-sphere and lifting the same together With the tree and moving it to a holder for burlapping.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,549,476 Johnson Apr. 17, 1951 2,669,065 Clegg Feb. 16, 1954 2,775,428 Monthan Dec. 25, 1956 2,796,700 Katz June 25, 1957 2,964,860 Daniels Dec. 20, 1960 2,990,630 Crawford July 4, 1961 3,017,719 Sigler et al. lan. 23, 1962 3,045,368 Whitcornb July 24, 1962 

